Using a home childcarer

A home childcarer is someone aged 18 or over who cares for children from birth to 17 years of up to two families at any one time, wholly or mainly at the home of one of the children. This includes nannies. A home childcarer can be self-employed or employed by one or more families.

You can:

use a self-employed home childcarer who will come to your home and charge you

employ a registered home childcarer and pay them a wage. As an employer you then have responsibilities towards your employee and should agree a contract with them.

In either of these cases you can find out about registered home childcarers in your area from Devon’s family information service at pinpointdevon.co.uk or by phoning 0345 155 1013.

You can also find a suitable carer and work with them to become registered with Ofsted. Home childcarers do not have to register with the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s services and Skills (Ofsted) but may choose to register on the voluntary part of the Ofsted Childcare Register.

A home childcarer may choose to register to:

reassure parents that they are checked, insured and have had minimum training

enable eligible parents to claim the Childcare Element of Working Families’ Tax Credit.